The longer I have this site and nudge myself to write on it, the more clear my beliefs on what it takes to be good at email are getting. A short list:
- Being good at email is far more about habits than tools.
- You can’t fix a bad email situation overnight, you have to work at it.
- Staying good at email means consistent effort and self-evaluation.
It’s a lot like diet and exercise. A flashy TV pill doesn’t help you lose weight and become healthy just like a fancy new client or email service doesn’t actually help you be good at email. Even if you find a tool helps you (in email or health!), that’s great, but it might be a burst of enthusiasm as much as it is the tool.
What helps you lose weight and become healthy is managing your diet and doing exercise… forever. What helps you get better at email is managing it… forever. Advice and coaching helps both.
One response to “Core Tenets”
One of the big problems I continually encounter surrounding email is that many people don’t think of it as an issue to “fix.” They don’t know they have a problem and are a problem to everyone else. Most job descriptions say they want someone with “good communication skills.” OK, what does that even mean? To me, a big part of it means being able to manage your inbox, replying to people succinctly and on time. When I interview candidates for jobs, no matter what the role is I ask them what their email inbox looks like. Personal and work. Their answers are always telling!